Oar coupling



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.(No Modem Patented Apr. 30, 1889. l

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NA PETERS; PbolLllhnmphnr, Washington. D4 C.

Uivrri-oV STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NICHOLAS BARR, or OAYUTA, New YORK.

'cAR-oouPLmG.

SPECFIVIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,38*?, dated Aprl- 30, 1889.

` Application neri February 5, 1889. semi No. 298,694. (No mode.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NICHOLAS BARR, of Cayuta, in the county of Schuyler and 4State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which willV enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the sa1ne,.reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this speciiication.

My inventionrelates to an improvement in twin-'j aw car-couplers.

The object of the invention isto provide an improved coupler of the class mentioned eX- ceedingly cheap, simple, and durable in construction, and provided with an improved automatic locking device for the pivoted jaw, and also to provide means for swinging the pivoted'jaw from the side of the car. These objects are accomplished by my invention, which consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, more fullydescribed hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the front end of a car, showing the coupler. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of one end of a car, showing the coupler annexed thereto and a portion of the coupler of the next adjoining car. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of a portion of the coupling-head in theplane of line x m, Fig. 2, showing the pin-holder swung back and the locking-pin in locking position. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the coupling-head in the plane of line yy, Fig. 2, showing the locking-pin held suspended by the pin-holder in readiness to drop the same into locking position-when the heel of the pivoted jaw is swung into the socket or opening in the coupling-head. Fig.

A 5 is a side elevation of thecoupling-head and a portion of its shank or draw-bar.v Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the locking coupling-jaw. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section of the coupling-head with the pivot'ed jaw removed.

Fig. S is a detail perspective view of the locking-pin. Fig. 9 is an elevation of the trip or pin-holder detached. Fig. 10 is a section of the coupling -head and the movable jaw locked, taken on the line z Le, Fig. 2.

In the drawings, the reference-letter c indicates the coupling-head, provided with the shank or draw-bar c', by which it is yieldingly secured to the car. This head on one side is provided with the usual rigid jaw, guard, or guide, b, while its opposite front side isrecessed and strengthened to receive the coupling-jaw c, pivoted in the recess of the coupling-head by a pin, b', to allow its outer orcoupling end to swing into lockingposition,'as shown in Fig. 2, extending across the 'front end of the head toward the rigid jaw,

' with its heel c locked in the recess in the front end of the coupling-head behind the locking-pin C. As is thus evident, the coupling-jaw consists of the jaw proper and the heel c', extending, preferably, at about right angles from the saine and of less width than the jaw portion, and having its toe or front end beveled, if desirable.

l The coupling-head is hollowed out or recessed in its front end, as shown, to receive the heel of the movable jaw, which fits into the same when the jaw is -in locking position and swings out of the same when the jaw is swung into open position, and the upper and lower sides of the heel, to the rear of the pivotpin of the jaw, are each provided with corresponding recesses d', extending in fromthe inner edge of the heel, and these recesses are adapted to receive the corresponding shoulders cl2, Figs. 4, 7, and 10, formed in the upper and lower walls of the recess in which the jaw is pivoted. It should be observed that these shoulders and recesses are directly in the rear of the pivot-pin, or in the line of draft on the jaw, so that if the pin drops out or becomes lost or broken the shoulderswill hold the jaw `in position and withstand 'thestraim and they also remove the strain from the pin when it isl in its correct position. Upon its upper side the head is preferably provided with a central upward extension, e', through which the coupling or locking pin d loosely extends, and the head is also provided with a vertical passage extending through the upper and lower Walls of the recess for the j aw-heel in which the pin works and is confined, and this passage is so situated that when the j aw is in lookin g po- IOO sition the pin can pass down in front of the heel, and thereby hold the same in its recess, the pin., of course, extendinginto the passage above and below the recess.

The jaw is automatically locked by means of swinging pin-holder or trip e, preferably consisting of a fiat plate normally extending into the recess in the coupling-head in the path of the jaw-heel, and the lower end of the locking-pin is adapted to rest upon the upper edge of this plate when the jaw is unlocked.

The vertical pin-passage e2 in the extension e is provided with vertical grooves f in its walls, and the pin-holder is provided with a pair of upwardly-extending arms, f', having lateral pintles j'2 loosely confined in said grooves, allowing the holder e to swing from under said passage back into a recess, g, in the head to allow the locking-pin to fall. In constructing the 'head the grooves extend from the top of the passage e2 almost but not quite to the lower end of the same. The pinholder is then inserted from the top and slides down until its pintles reach the ends of the grooves, which form a bearing for the same, and then the locking-pin is placed in t-he passage, and then a top, p, is placed upon the extension having an aperture registering with the passage c`-, but smaller than the same, and the upper end of the locking-pin is contracted to pass through this opening, and is provided with a shoulder, 71., to prevent the same from being lifted out of the head.

Vhen the movable jaw is unlocked and its heel swung out, the pin-holder han gs straight down in the head, with the lower end of the locking-pin resting on its upper edge, and is thus held out of the recess, and when the jaw is swung into locked position the heel passes into the head and swings back the pin-holder into its recess g, thereby opening the lower end of the pin-passage and allowing the pin ltlc dlrop into locking position in front of the The locking-pin is lifted from locked position to release the coupling-jaw by means of a rock-shaft, h', extending across the end of the car and mounted in suitable bearings and provided on its ends with suitable handles, and this shaft or rod is provided with an arm, i, extending forwardly over the coupling-head and having its end notched. A link, z", is loosely secured to the head of the coupling-pin and loosely its upon said notched end, so that when the arm t' is swung up the pin will be lifted; but if the coupling-head is by accident pulled from the car the link c" will slip from the arm i, and thus not injure the end of the car by pulling the shaft 71. from its bearings.

jj indicate the side beams, and ,7" a crossbeam that supports the drawbar and eoupling-head.

To the rear (preferably) of the crossbarj a lever, k, is centrally pivoted to the draw bar to swing in a horizontal plane, and eX- tends to each side of the car, and an arm, 7c', extends forwardly from the level', and is loosely pivoted to the movable jaw at q. Thus it will be seen that the movable jaw can be swung open or shut from the side of the car. Thearm 7e is bent downwardlyfrom its point of connection with the lever to pass around the cross-beam j', and its opposite end curves up again to engage the jaw. The lever 7c is also looped or curved downwardly at its center to pass around the draw-bar, as shown. The lever is preferably pivoted between a pair of blocks, p', on the draw-bar to limit its swing.

It should be observed that the contour lines of the herein-described coupler are those which insure the greatest strength, durability, eifectiveness, the., and that they are modeled after the lines established by the Master Car Builders Association, April 8, 1888. It should also be observed that the lower end of the locking-pin is notched, as shown, to engage the edge of the heel, and thereby more readily drop into locking position when the heel is moved in.

In case the pivoted jaw should be broken, so as to become inoperative, the same can bc removed and a common link used, with which the pin-holder will operate automatically.

The heel and recess in the head are relatively so constructed that when the jaw is locked the recess in frontof the heel is open, and should dirt, snow, and the like get entrance to that portion, when the lockingpin is raised and the heel swings out, it forces out such dirt and snow that may enter said recess.

What I claim is` 1. In a twin-jaw car-coupler, the combination of the coupling-head having a recess in its front end and a vertical passage for the locking-pin extending through the head and opening into the recess, a movable jaw pivoted in the head and having a heel to swing into the recess, a locking-pin to lock the heel in the recess, and a swinging pin holder adapted to hold the pin suspended and extend into the path of the heel when the same is swung out, whereby, when the heel is swung in, the holder is swung back and the pin dropped into locking position, substantially as described.

2. In a twin-j aw car-coupling, the combination of the coupling having a rigid jaw, a movable jaw 'pivoted to the head and having a heel to swing in and out of the head, a vertically-movable lockin g-pin in the head adapted to lock the heel in the head, and a swinging pin-holder in the head adapted to removably hold the pin suspended and movablyextend into the path of the heel when the heel is swung out, substantially as described.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination of a coupling-head, the rigid guide or jaw, the movable jaw, said head having a recess in which the movable jaw is pivoted and in or out of which the heel of said jaw can swing, a locking-pin to lock said heel in the recess,

IOO

IIO

said head being provided with a vertical pas` sage forthe locking-pin opening into the jawheel recess, and with a recess to the rear of the jaw-heel recess and pin-passage, and apinholder provided with pintles j ournaled in the pin-passage adapted4 to support the pin on its 'upper edge and extend in the heel-recess, whereby, when thev heel is swung in, said holder is swung back into said rear recess and-` the pin is dropped in front ofv the heel, substantially asdescribed.

4. A coupling-head having a rigid jaw or guide and a recess in its front end, in combination with a movable jaw pivoted in said recess by a pivot-pin and having recesses in its upper and lower sides directly in rear of said pivot, and shoulders on the inner walls of said recess to it in said recesses, and thereby remove the strain from the pin and withstand the strain when the pin is removed, substantially as described.

5. In a car-coupling, the coupling-head with its'draw-bar and the rigid and movable jaws,

in combination with a lever pivoted to they draw-bar and extending to one side of the car,

port of the draw-bar, substantially as described.

ln testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NICHOLAS BARR.

Witnesses:

O. E. DUFFY, lC. M. WERLn. 

